Description

The Counseling program offers a Master of Arts degree with three possible concentrations: Clinical Mental Health; Marriage, Couples, and Family; and School Counseling. Admission requirements are the same for all three concentrations. The Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling concentrations are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and meet the academic and field experience requirements established by the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling (ABEC) for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC). The Marriage, Couples, and Family concentration prepares students for a path to licensure as marriage and family therapists (LMFT). Properly credentialed counselors provide mental health services to individuals, families, and groups to treat mental, behavioral, and emotional problems and disorders.

This concentration prepares students to counsel couples and families with the aim of resolving conflicts, fostering more effective ways of communicating, and building healthier interpersonal relationships. Couple and family counselors work in a range of professional settings such as hospitals, wellness centers, recovery programs, and private practice, where they address not only conflicts between partners and within families but also clinical issues such as depression, anxiety, grief, and addiction. Students are required to participate in supervised field experiences and counseling internships and are strongly encouraged to become members of and to attend the local, state, and national conferences of relevant professional organizations.